


Tree + Coat Hanger + Scalpel

by Gretti_writes



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [17]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Chest Tubes, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Impromptu Doctor, Improvisation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gretti_writes/pseuds/Gretti_writes
Summary: Jack thinks he's fine until they're on the jet, when Mac has to become an impromptu doctor.
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140011
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	Tree + Coat Hanger + Scalpel

**Author's Note:**

> Febuwhump Day 17 Prompt - Field Surgery.
> 
> Bit last minute this one (it's still day 17 until I go to bed!), really struggled for inspiration until I saw an internet story about a real life similar situation.
> 
> Thanks to @saintsurvivor for proofing!
> 
> Enjoy!

Jack loves driving. It’s the one thing he doesn’t share with Mac. He drives. That’s the deal and Mac is usually hanging out of a window with some dohicky he’s made anyway.

On this particular mission, Jack is driving their getaway vehicle, an old pickup truck, through the back roads of South Africa. The road, nothing more than a dirt track, is narrow and their pursuers have accelerated so that they are almost bumper to bumper.

‘Mac, now would be a really great time for you to do something!’ Jack shouts over the noise of gunfire.

‘Yeah, I’m trying!’ Mac replies, rummaging around in the footwell, trying to find something he can use. Before he is successful though, Jack is shouting again.

‘BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!’

Mac looks up just in time to see them careering towards a tree. He tries to relax his body as much as possible, the exact opposite of ‘brace, brace, brace’, but he knows that it will avoid broken bones hopefully. His head hits the dash as they bulldoze their way into the tree.

There is a moment of silence before the gunfire starts up again and Mac and Jack realise they have to move.

‘I’ll cover you!’ yells Jack over the din.

Mac scrambles across the seats to the driver’s side, as Jack flings open his door and starts returning fire. For once, Mac isn’t required to make anything as their enemy are stupid enough to just keep coming at them and after a few minutes, Jack has dealt with all of them. Thankfully, the enemies' vehicle is mostly intact and Mac manages to jump start it to they can make their way back to exfil.

**MacJackMacJackMacJackMacJackMacJackMacJackMacJack**

It’s not until they are on the jet on their way back to Los Angeles, when Jack realises he may have a problem. It’s amazing how adrenaline can mask pain but by the time they have been in the air for thirty minutes, Jack’s chest is starting to hurt. He, as nonchalantly as possible, readjusts his position for the third time in five minutes.

Mac has been watching him across the aisle and knows something isn’t quite right. He gets up and moves across to his partner.

‘Alright, what’s up?’

‘I don’t know what you mean kiddo, I’m just peachy’, Jack replies.

Mac narrows his eyes. ‘You’ve moved position three times in the last five minutes. The only time you can’t get comfortable on this jet is when you’re injured. So, what’s up?’

‘I may have slammed by chest against the steering wheel when we mangled that tree earlier….’

‘Ok, shirt off. Let’s see’.

‘Really?’ Jack whines. 'I’m sure it’s fine and it’s always cold on here'.

Mac just stares at him, Jack knowing that he isn’t going to win the fight. He sighs before slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Mac tries to keep his expression neutral when he sees the bruises starting to form across Jack’s chest.

‘Well, the steering wheel definitely got you’.

‘You don’t say’, Jack replies, shifting again.

‘Stop moving’, Mac instructs. ‘You may have broken some ribs. I’m gonna have a feel’.

Mac moves his hands slowly over Jack’s chest, trying to be as gentle as possible. There are definitely a few that move under his hands in ways they shouldn’t. He’s just about finished when the jet hits turbulence. Mac falls forward, desperately trying to keep his balance but accidentally pushing some of his weight onto Jack’s chest.

‘Arghhhh’, Jack yells, hand clutching at his chest. ‘I think one may have just moved…’

‘Oh shit, sorry Jack. The turbulence caught me by surprise. How do you feel?’

Jack bites his lip.

‘Like it really hurts, and my chest is starting to feel tight’.

Jack tries to take in a deep breath but can’t.

‘Mac, I think I may have just punctured a lung’, Jack says, trying not to wheeze. ‘You’re gonna need to place a chest tube’.

‘Err, ok. We don’t have one of those in the kit. Hang on’, Mac replies, already thinking.

He gets up and grabs the trauma kit and gets the oxygen going for Jack.

‘Here, put this on and don’t argue while I find what I need’.

Mac starts to search through the other compartments on the plane, finding supplies. He comes back to Jack wielding a coat hanger. Jack doesn’t even bother asking, just concentrates on breathing.

‘Ok, I think I’m ready’, Mac says, trying to hide the fear in his eyes.

Of course, Jack can see through it.

‘It’ll be fine buddy’, Jack starts. ‘I can talk you through it. Have you got a scalpel?’

‘Yep’.

‘Ok, so find the 5th intercostal space and make an incision there. You have to go deep so you get through all the layers of muscle’, Jack pants out. ‘Then you’ll have to get your finger in there and feel around. You don’t have the right instruments, so you’ll have to make the hole into the plural space with your finger. You’ll feel it pop. With the other hand push the tube in, you’ve got a tube, right?’ Jack suddenly asks.

‘Yeah, got a tube’. Mac holds it up. ‘Also got a coat hanger I can use to push it in and thankfully there is an actual scalpel in the kit’.

Jack nods his head, concentrating on breathing.

‘I don’t have any pain relief that’s gonna help this Jack’. Mac looks up at him, biting his bottom lip.

‘I’ll be fine Hoss’, Jack reassures Mac. ‘Just ignore my screams’, he adds, smiling.

Mac rolls his eyes and steadies his hands.

‘You ready?’

Jack looks Mac directly in the eyes.

‘I trust you Hoss. You’ll do great’, he says before shoving a piece of jumper between his teeth.

Mac grabs the scalpel and hesitates before plunging the knife into Jack’s side. Jack arches up at the intrusion and groans into the jumper, while Mac tries to hold him still.

‘You’ve got this Jack’, Mac says, mirroring his partner’s reassurance.

Mac starts to push his finger into the incision, gritting his teeth, trying to forget that his finger is in Jack’s chest. He pushes his finger in further and feels the pop Jack was talking about. Jack moans around his gag, hands balled into fists as he tries to deal with the pain.

Mac grabs the tube and his coat hanger and starts to push it into Jack’s chest. He knows it’s in the right place when Jack’s face changes. The lines of pain not quite so pronounced.

‘I think it’s in’, Mac says.

Jack nods. ‘Yeah…. feels….. better’, he pants. ‘Now... secure… it… somehow’.

Mac nods, grabbing a suture kit from the pack. ‘Just lay back big guy, we’ll get you some proper pain relief soon’, Mac says, swallowing thickly as his heart does backflips in his chest.


End file.
